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Hidden in Plain Sight: Poverty at the Edge of Paradise in the Dominican Republic Katie Barr Thursday, 23 October 2025 By all appearances, the Dominican Republic is a vision of tropical abundance. Powder-white beaches stretch endlessly beneath leaning palms, kissed by the gentle churn of turquoise waters. In Punta Cana, sprawling resorts dominate the skyline like monuments of inequality, fortified by manicured lawns, marble lobbies, and all-inclusive opulence. Tourists sip mojitos in infinity pools and post sun-drenched selfies beneath thatched cabanas. For them this is paradise – curated, controlled and pleasantly insulated from reality. Yet beyond the gated splendour of these resort compounds lies a different Dominican Republic – one defined not by leisure, but by endurance. In neighbourhoods where roads crumble, electricity flickers unreliably and access to clean water can be a luxury, the daily lives of most Dominicans unfold in sharp contrast to the glossy fantasy of the adjacent hotels. There are no pavements here. Instead, people walk directly in the roads, weaving carefully between cars that stop abruptly to pick up friends and relatives. Small, weathered huts line the roadside. These are makeshift stalls where vendors sell everything from handmade crafts to food. The ground is littered with broken plastic and discarded wrappers – a supposed refuse of a community too busy surviving to keep clean. The roads themselves are narrow and uneven. People dart through the traffic, navigating this informal maze with practiced ease: building sights for new hotels, water parks are being erected, billboards plastered all over advertising real estate agents and encouraging tourists to buy property. Beach sellers roam tirelessly up and down the shore, carrying trays of colourful necklaces, bracelets, and handwoven baskets. They spend hours under the sun, hoping to catch the eye of passing tourists. Yet even when a visitor shows interest, they often haggle relentlessly, pushing prices lower and lower for pieces that embody generations of culture and craftmanship. In the rural interior and urban peripheries, poverty is not an anomaly, it’s the norm. This stark juxtaposition – five-star extravagance flanked by deep-rooted economic hardship – is not simply an unfortunate coincidence. It is symptomatic of the structures that underpin modern global tourism. Resorts in the Dominican Republic are often foreign-owned and run as self-contained economic zones. Guests arrive by plane, are whisked to beachfront resorts in private shuttles, and remain cocooned within the confines of an all-inclusive model. Every need is met within this compound: meals, entertainment, excursions, even shopping. Pay enough money and you can be met with your personal butler who opens your door and caters to whatever you need. As a result, money circulates within a closed loop – from tourists to resort management to overseas investors – leaving only a faint economic imprint on the surrounding communities. Despite tourism in the Dominican Republic generating a record $9.75 billion USD in 2023, the wealth remains concentrated among a small elite, both local and foreign. In fact, many hospitality workers claim to work up to 12 hours a day for as little as $1 an hour. Bartenders serve drinks they could never afford and housekeepers clean rooms more luxurious than any home they have known. Maintenance crews quietly ensure the illusion of paradise holds, while relying on tip culture to pad their salaries. The business model behind these resorts is one of exclusion – designed to maximise the comfort and safety of tourists, while minimising their contact with local poverty and politics. One of the most striking ways resorts maintain this illusion is through the language and behaviour of their employees. At Dreams Onyx, in Punta Cana, staff are carefully trained to refer to tourists as family and to respond to every request with scripted phrases such as ‘our pleasure’. It feels like the vocabulary is more than courteous phrasing. It seems a deliberate form of emotional labour and social control. Employees learn to embody an attitude of warmth and unconditional service, creating a veneer of intimacy that masks underlying inequalities. Calling tourists ‘family’ is a powerful rhetorical device. It suggests a closeness and mutual respect whilst subtly reinforcing the hierarchy between guest and worker. The phrases such as ‘our pleasure’ transforms simple tasks into performances requiring constant emotional regulation. Staff are expected to smile and express gratitude even when tired or frustrated, supressing genuine feelings to sustain the resort’s polished image. This scripted politeness smooths over tensions that might arise from stark inequalities. It creates an environment where guests feel pampered and appreciated, while workers negotiate complex feelings of servitude, pride and invisibility. The result is a carefully managed social dynamic – a performance of paradise maintained by the often invisible sacrifices of the local work force. The workers are essential to the industry yet remain marginalised. The Dominican Republic is undeniably beautiful. Its true wealth is not the palm-fringed beaches or glittering resorts. It is the resilience and spirit of its people. Until tourism models shift to prioritise fair wages, labour dignity and local empowerment, paradise will remain an unequal illusion framed by paved infinity pools on one side and poverty-stricken communities on the other. About the Author 7 Reasons to visit Santo Domingo Millie Adams 24 hours in... Barcelona Grace Whitaker Violeta by Isabel Allende: One Hundred Years on the South American Continent Mhairi MacLeod Header photograph from borgenmagazine.com Tags: Culture Travel Politics Categories: Cultural Guide Cultural Spotlight Culture Travel Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Go globetrotting with our exclusive travel pieces. From year abroad anecdotes to raving recommendations, it can all be found right here. Travel Go globetrotting with our exclusive travel pieces. From year abroad anecdotes to raving recommendations, it can all be found right here. NEW POST! 17 Mar 2025 Weekend Getaways: The Lake District Why not take a quick weekend getaway with your friends? It’s the perfect escape for busy students in need of a break from constant studying. A weekend trip lets you unwind, recharge and discover new places- sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery to shake off the uni stress! Read More 10 Feb 2025 Sustainable Travel on a Budget With flights cheaper than ever, often costing less than a return train to London, it‘s no wonder that modern globe-trotters are opting for this method of travel. However, the world is increasingly witnessing the drastic effects of climate change; thus we must take it into our own hands to begin to diffuse that which is (fossil) fueled by our own human activity. Read More 10 Feb 2025 Trips from Nottingham: A local’s insight Why not venture outside the borders of Nottingham for a day out or short-stay? Whether your goal is to take a break from studying, catch up with friends from your hometown, or simply to create some fantastic memories; this guide has you covered. Read More 10 Dec 2024 Year Abroad Tales: A glimpse into Corrientes, Argentina through journal entries Throughout my year abroad in France and Argentina I used journaling as a way of recording my thoughts and experiences. I am grateful I did this as now, when I read these entries back, I am able to connect with that time again. Rather than turn them into a traditional article I decided to exhibit some of my favourite memories just as they are: a jumble of scenes, observations and human connections. Read More 1 Oct 2024 Year Abroad Tales: The World’s Biggest Serranito When you think of Seville, what culinary delights spring to mind? Gazpacho, patatas bravas, or perhaps the famous Seville Orange Marmalade? Chances are, a Serranito spanning the length of a bridge isn’t top of your list - but that’s exactly what I witnessed during my first few weeks in the city! Read More 14 Jul 2024 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Interrailing Rachel gives us a comprehensive list of everything she wishes she had known before setting off on her interrailing adventure, sharing her top tips and tricks for a smooth-sailing rail holiday. Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 7 Meet the Editor Robin is an Ancient History student and the 25/26 Travel Editor (and unofficial Print Editor).

Unique pieces for the inquisitive lovers of language and linguistics. Language Unique pieces for the inquisitive lovers of language and linguistics. NEW POST! THE LANGUAGE OF LIES: EXPOSING THE UNRELIABLE NARRATOR 18 Mar 2025 The Language of Lies: Exposing the Unreliable Narrator Have you ever wondered how language is used to construct lies? By delving into some of literature's most famous liars and unreliable narrators, I hope to conceptualise the act of deception and prove that dishonesty is not as easy to detect as you may think. Read More 16 Dec 2024 Growing Up Bilingual There is something truly exceptional about the way languages shape our lives, especially when you grow up knowing more than one. Welcome, not just to my world, but to the world of billions across the globe. Read More 16 Dec 2024 I Love Them With All My Heart (And Liver) Do you love them with all your heart? Do you wonder why you feel this with all your heart? Our expression of love and sorrow emerges from the deepest parts of our mind and body but where does the use of our organs as the source of this feeling originate from? Read More 16 Dec 2024 The Art of Fictional Languages: Deconstructing Dothraki and Klingon Did you know that the act of creating fictional languages has its own name? Conlanging, short for the construction of languages, has become increasingly popular as the genres of science fiction and fantasy have taken TV and book audiences by storm. From Star Trek to Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, constructed languages, so-called conlangs, have found their way into popular culture. We will closely examine two of these languages, Dothraki and Klingon, to truly learn what goes into creating and speaking these conlangs. Read More 5 Nov 2024 A Journey Into British Sign Language Have you ever heard of British Sign Language (BSL), or thought about just how many people use the language across the UK? This article aims to shed light on the history and basics of this language. Read More 4 Nov 2024 Impoliteness in Online Gaming: A Linguistic Analysis Have you ever had the delightful experience of joining a discord-voice chat full of guys as an innocent girl just wanting to play some League of Legends? Maybe not, but I certainly have, and as a result of my culture shock, I have made some observations on the language used within this specific environment. Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 ... 5 Meet the Editor

Stay up-to-date with our top stories of political and social interest. Featuring the big headlines, bite-size pieces and language orientated news.  Global Affairs Stay up-to-date with our top stories of political and social interest. Featuring the big headlines, bite-size pieces and language orientated news. NEW POST! 9 Dec 2024 How did the Convicted Felon Donald Trump Manage to Win the US Elections? While the 2024 U.S. Elections were expected to be close between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Trump won by a landslide of 291 electoral votes to 222, becoming the first convicted felon to be elected president. Donald Trump’s shock victory in the 2024 U.S. Elections has divided the country into two reactions: excitement and dread for what will come in his administration's next four years. This article analyses some reasons for Trump's victory and what happens now. Read More 14 Nov 2024 Just Stop Oil: Who are they, and why are they throwing soup on paintings? In the last few years, Just Stop Oil has consistently attacked art and culture to raise awareness of its concern about global warming and climate change. But why throw soup at paintings? This article investigates the protest group's origins and reasoning. Read More 17 Jun 2024 The Forgotten Victims of the Holocaust With the arrival of Pride Month, Olivia reflects on those throughout history who have suffered due to their sexual orientation. Gay men living under National Socialism are often forgotten when remembering those who were persecuted by the Nazis. CW: mentions of the Holocaust and homophobia Read More 25 May 2024 Students Protest the (Western) World Over Student protests in the US in support of Palestine have grabbed international media attention, both from traditional new outlets and through the slow seep of videos in the TikTok ecosystem. The role of student journalists and social media in local and global politics has never been quite so clear. Holly explores this and examines the ongoing events. Read More 18 Apr 2024 The Reintroduction of the Eastern Black Rhino in Kenya After more than 50 years, the Eastern Black Rhino returns to a central Kenyan plateau. Editor in Chief, Harriet, dives into the details of this incredible conservationist effort. Read More 18 Apr 2024 Ladies Lounge: The Story of One Man’s Entitlement and Why That’s The Point The Ladies’ Lounge installation at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania has drawn international attention recently, as one man launched a gender discrimination complaint after being turned away from the women-only exhibit. Holly Cromwell reports. Read More 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4 Meet the Editor

Go globetrotting with our exclusive travel pieces. From year abroad anecdotes to raving recommendations, it can all be found right here. Travel Go globetrotting with our exclusive travel pieces. From year abroad anecdotes to raving recommendations, it can all be found right here. NEW POST! 17 Mar 2025 Weekend Getaways: The Lake District Why not take a quick weekend getaway with your friends? It’s the perfect escape for busy students in need of a break from constant studying. A weekend trip lets you unwind, recharge and discover new places- sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery to shake off the uni stress! Read More 10 Feb 2025 Sustainable Travel on a Budget With flights cheaper than ever, often costing less than a return train to London, it‘s no wonder that modern globe-trotters are opting for this method of travel. However, the world is increasingly witnessing the drastic effects of climate change; thus we must take it into our own hands to begin to diffuse that which is (fossil) fueled by our own human activity. Read More 10 Feb 2025 Trips from Nottingham: A local’s insight Why not venture outside the borders of Nottingham for a day out or short-stay? Whether your goal is to take a break from studying, catch up with friends from your hometown, or simply to create some fantastic memories; this guide has you covered. Read More 10 Dec 2024 Year Abroad Tales: A glimpse into Corrientes, Argentina through journal entries Throughout my year abroad in France and Argentina I used journaling as a way of recording my thoughts and experiences. I am grateful I did this as now, when I read these entries back, I am able to connect with that time again. Rather than turn them into a traditional article I decided to exhibit some of my favourite memories just as they are: a jumble of scenes, observations and human connections. Read More 1 Oct 2024 Year Abroad Tales: The World’s Biggest Serranito When you think of Seville, what culinary delights spring to mind? Gazpacho, patatas bravas, or perhaps the famous Seville Orange Marmalade? Chances are, a Serranito spanning the length of a bridge isn’t top of your list - but that’s exactly what I witnessed during my first few weeks in the city! Read More 14 Jul 2024 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Interrailing Rachel gives us a comprehensive list of everything she wishes she had known before setting off on her interrailing adventure, sharing her top tips and tricks for a smooth-sailing rail holiday. Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 7 Meet the Editor Robin is an Ancient History student and the 25/26 Travel Editor (and unofficial Print Editor).

Welcome Week Click through our articles below to get all the tips for staying on top of your studies, guides for experiencing some culture in Nottingham and anecdotes for new and current language students. NEW POST! CHINA'S "DEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB": TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE? 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100

Lingo is the University of Nottingham's Language and Culture Magazine, established 2022. Home: Welcome Home: Feature Story Award-winning magazine Winner of the Student Publication Association Regional Award for Best Digital Media 2024 and 2025. Highly Commended for Best Print Design 2025. Nominated for Best Newcomer Publication, Best Culture Publication and Best Overall Digital Media at the SPA national awards 2024. LATEST ARTICLES CULTURE ‘Unnatural and Uncomfortable’: New Wuthering Heights Bites Off More Than It Can Chew CULTURE AN ELEGY WRITTEN FOR CITIES How should we endure history? And how should we face modernization? LANGUAGE El idioma como un salvavidas: ¿Cómo pueden las diásporas mantener viva su herencia? Un idioma es algo más que solo palabras. Es un vehículo que sostiene la identidad cultural, que consolida la memoria histórica y que forma una cohesión cultural, todo lo cual quizá lo sientan con mayor intensidad las diásporas. CULTURE An Interview with Kate MccGwire: Quiver Lingo's Culture and Language Editors, Arabella Moore-Smith and Scott Froggatt, interview Kate MccGwire about her utterly unique upon visiting her 'Quiver' Exhibition at Lakeside Arts in Nottingham Haven't got your hands on a copy? Check out Issue #5 here Our Monthly Music Chart! Tune in to all our favourite songs from around the world! Listen now! Join us Not a member yet? Why not? Click the link below to buy our membership and unlock all of perks of being part of Lingo! Membership > Get an Idea Stuck for an idea? Have a look through our database curated by our excellent editors for some inspiration! Database > Start Writing Can't get started? Use our writing frames to help you along the way, including our accessibility guide so we can reach as many readers as possible. Writing Frames > Submit! All done? Complete our form below to submit your article! Submission Form > CONTACT US Name Email Message Submit Thanks for submitting! BUY YOUR SU MEMBERSHIP HERE!

‘Unnatural and Uncomfortable’: New Wuthering Heights Bites Off More Than It Can Chew Safa Qassem Wednesday, 4 March 2026 Emerald Fennell, director of the new Wuthering Heights film, promised an avant-garde psychosexual reimagining of Emily Brontë’s classic novel. She instead delivers a bizarre exercise in vanity which misunderstands its own themes. The destructive bond between the tortured orphan Heathcliff and the privileged Catherine Earnshaw has been a fecund wellspring for the cinema screen since its publication in 1847. Brontë astonished her refined Victorian readers with her unabashed portrayal of social class, race and familial abuse against the backdrop of the ghostly Yorkshire moorlands. No room is left for any of these concerns in this liberal adaptation which squanders its two-hour runtime to hollow displays of lukewarm sexual transgression. Fennell’s filmography is devoted to shock and awe theory. Saltburn , the second film in the Emerald-verse, also banks on being provocative and visually attractive so it can stun and overwhelm its audience to distract from its purposelessness. In Wuthering Heights , the same strategy reduces the central tragedy of Cathy and Heathcliff’s story to something resembling a Colleen Hoover novel. The plot hinges entirely on an unmoving miscommunication trope - one that is conveniently resolved, zapping any emotional investment for viewers. The refusal to touch the racial politics of the gothic source material haunts the film from start to finish. The choice to cast Jacob Elordi as the ‘dark-skinned gipsy’, Heathcliff, was ostensibly made based on his success as on-screen eye candy. Last year, Fennell sheepishly admitted at the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival, that she favoured Elordi because he “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that [she] read,” when she was fourteen. It is evident that the film-maker’s white-washed teenage vision was prioritised above all else. No thought was given to the moral implications of erasing a major opportunity for an Asian or Roma actor, especially since the latter are virtually invisible in Hollywood. By cutting out the racial torment which hardens Heathcliff into a roguish villain, he does not seem any more mistreated than the other residents in Wuthering Heights . The revenge he wreaks on the high-born Lintons and Earnshaws in the third act then seems comically unwarranted. The optics are troubling. The desultory ‘colour-blind’ casting, places two Asian actors, Hong Chau as Nelly Dean and Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, as obstacles which keep its young, white, photogenic couple apart. Nelly, especially, is rewritten as an arch-manipulator, with the suggestion that she bears responsibility for Cathy’s death. The diversification of the film’s secondary characters was a disingenuous choice, only done in the hope that it would offset the criticism surrounding Elordi’s casting. That visual significance was completely overlooked. Cathy’s casting, which has been much less heatedly discussed, also suffers from the director’s aesthetic myopia. Margot Robbie, who also produced the film, plays a child trapped in a thirty-five year old’s body. She reproduces the same whining tantrums and pouty sulks written in the novel, but the twenty-year age-gap between Brontë’s adolescent Cathy and Robbie’s middle aged heroine makes for an unnatural and uncomfortable performance. There were times when the film was on the cusp of forming some kind of commentary. Alison Oliver’s Isabella, an infantilised and cosseted simpleton, verges on a criticism of protective paternalism. Her sheltered upbringing leaves her unprepared for her husband’s cruelty. Yet, Fennell abandons all of this to pursue the idea that Isabella is in fact an S&M enthusiast. Shock is mistaken for daring in this adaptation. Fennell’s incessant attempts to scandalise undermines her claim to a radical reinvention of Wuthering Heights. Muddled and self-indulgent, the film proves too childish to finish what Emily Brontë began. About the Author Foreign Film in the Face of Western Commercialism Francesca Beaumont What’s On in Nottingham: March Vicki Mileson International Film at the Oscars Holly Cromwell Header photograph from yahoo.com Want to write for us? Tell us your thoughts on Instagram via DM @lingomag_ or by email lingomagazine.submit@gmail.com Need some help for an article idea? Just let us know, and our editors will be happy to assist. Tags: wutheringheights review film Cinema Categories: Cultural News Culture Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

ISSUE 7 : UNITY OUT NOW View ‘Unnatural and Uncomfortable’: New Wuthering Heights Bites Off More Than It Can Chew Safa Qassem 4 Mar 2026 READ LATEST STORIES Safa Qassem 4 Mar 2026 Culture ‘Unnatural and Uncomfortable’: New Wuthering Heights Bites Off More Than It Can Chew READ Sarah Taylor 30 Nov 2025 Culture A Film Review: Hard Truths - Written and Directed by Mike Leigh READ Bufan Zhang 13 Feb 2026 Culture AN ELEGY WRITTEN FOR CITIES READ Anika Jennifer Mariel | Harriet Rothwell-Inch 23 Nov 2025 language Crecer Bilingüe READ Jay Hemmett | Esha Singh 26 Jan 2026 Language El idioma como un salvavidas: ¿Cómo pueden las diásporas mantener viva su herencia? READ 作者：Gabrielle Wroe | 翻译：Hui Liu 18 Nov 2025 travel 周末好去处：湖区 READ Arabella Moore-Smith | Scott Froggatt 5 Dec 2025 Culture An Interview with Kate MccGwire: Quiver READ Caitlin Morrell 29 Oct 2025 Culture A Concert and Album Review: From The Pyre - The Last Dinner Party at The Level READ Established in 2022 after the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lingo Magazine started with a group of friends wanting to share their travel stories. Now, Lingo strives to represent and empower narratives outside of the mainstream narrative. ABOUT US PRINT ISSUES We have come a long way since the first issue. CULTURE Arabella Moore-Smith Theology Culture Editor Meet the Editor 4 Mar 2026 Safa Qassem ‘Unnatural and Uncomfortable’: New Wuthering Heights Bites Off More Than It Can Chew View More 5 Dec 2025 Arabella Moore-Smith | Scott Froggatt An Interview with Kate MccGwire: Quiver View More 13 Feb 2026 Bufan Zhang AN ELEGY WRITTEN FOR CITIES View More 30 Nov 2025 Sarah Taylor A Film Review: Hard Truths - Written and Directed by Mike Leigh View More Arabella Moore-Smith GLOBAL AFFAIRS Caitlin Morrell 9 Dec 2024 How did the Convicted Felon Donald Trump Manage to Win the US Elections? View More Olivia Marshall 17 Jun 2024 The Forgotten Victims of the Holocaust View More Caitlin Morrell 14 Nov 2024 Just Stop Oil: Who are they, and why are they throwing soup on paintings? View More Holly Cromwell 25 May 2024 Students Protest the (Western) World Over View More Global Affairs Editor Modern Languages with Translation Read More Leah Davies Lingo Magazine fosters a welcoming community, learning about other cultures and niches. Alongside our launch parties, we hold regular social to meet like-minded people. These include workshops, game nights and coffee meet ups. MEETINGS & EVENTS We are not just an online magazine LANGUAGE Scott Froggatt Physics Languages Editor Meet the Editor 26 Jan 2026 Jay Hemmett | Esha Singh El idioma como un salvavidas: ¿Cómo pueden las diásporas mantener viva su herencia? View More 18 Mar 2025 Saskia Johnson The Language of Lies: Exposing the Unreliable Narrator View More 23 Nov 2025 Anika Jennifer Mariel | Harriet Rothwell-Inch Crecer Bilingüe View More 16 Dec 2024 Sofia Christou I Love Them With All My Heart (And Liver) View More TRAVEL 18 Nov 2025 作者：Gabrielle Wroe | 翻译：Hui Liu 周末好去处：湖区 View More 10 Feb 2025 Rhianna Wynne Trips from Nottingham: A local’s insight View More 17 Mar 2025 Gabrielle Wroe Weekend Getaways: The Lake District View More 10 Feb 2025 Jacob Edwards Sustainable Travel on a Budget View More Robin Greenwood Ancient History Travel Editor Meet the Editor Want to get featured? We’re always on the lookout for fresh, new ideas. Find out how you can pitch your ideas to our editors and get your work published. SUBMISSIONS

An Interview with Kate MccGwire: Quiver Arabella Moore-Smith | Scott Froggatt Friday, 5 December 2025 Lingo's Culture and Language Editors, Arabella Moore-Smith and Scott Froggatt, interview Kate MccGwire about her utterly unique upon visiting her 'Quiver' Exhibition at Lakeside Arts in Nottingham Kate MccGwire - what a truly accomplished and uniquely inspired British artist. There are few words sufficient to explain the quality, crafts(wo)manship and dualistic beauty of Kate’s exhibition, Quiver . Scott and I were lucky enough to be invited by Lakeside Arts to visit the exhibition when it opened on the 19th of September this year, and being the largest solo show Kate’s had to date and the first time she’s been able to show four installations together in a museum space, it exceeded our expectations. With Kate’s primary medium being bird feathers, many of the works seem as if they are almost alive. After asking Kate how she creates her sculptures like ‘DISCHARGE’, she answered that she would not tell us in order to maintain the mystery surrounding the sculpture. And this is just one aspect of what I think makes Kate’s work so captivating; its observer mostly marvels at just how she might have achieved such an effect. The curation of the exhibition, worked on by Kate alongside Lakeside’s Head of Visual Arts Neil Walker, was also magnificent. To quote Kate on her Instagram; “... each of them [the Quiver installations] began life as a commission, created specifically for a building or context,” Kate’s work again showcasing itself as something singular, and yet, the sculptures change as they are curated through each space. Pictured is what we felt was a particular showstopper - ‘DISCHARGE’ - a work that just is . It lives . Attending the exhibition of Quiver was truly a unique experience that left Scott and I feeling inspired about the intersection of nature and art. MccGwire's work features dualities that somehow translate the very essence of life in all its forms, blurring the lines between the human and animal worlds. Here is the interview! Scott: Kate - we loved the exhibit. You seem to be drawn towards water and the flow of water. Tell us what came from your upbringing in Norfolk and explain where your connection to nature came from? Kate : I was born in a boatyard in Norfolk surrounded by people making things. On weekends we would go out in boats, so I learnt to row, and my parents were very laissez-faire. You could just go in it, try it, and if you fell in the water it was never that deep, you know? So there was a lot of trial and error, but it was a very free childhood I suppose. At the weekends as a family we would go sailing and we were surrounded by beautiful reed birds and gorgeous, incredible birds, bitterns and swallowtail butterflies, really it was a fantastic nature reserve. The Broads exist with a sort of buffer of reedbeds around them, so there’s no road access apart from a few places. You get acres and acres of reedbeds with all this amazing wildlife, and then you get rivers. So it was very, very quiet - all you could hear was the sound of birds and the ripples of the water. I would see the eels being caught, and for me that was a very formative image of a writhing creature held with a man-made fork. The thing about water for me, which I learnt from experience and my parents telling me to be careful, is the pattern on the water. It’s there because there’s a current underneath. Those beautiful patterns can be completely treacherous and I love that sort of dichotomy between something that is gorgeous and perfect, there for a nanosecond, then gone. It’s also something that can drag you under the water if you were in it. I think it’s those two things that are in my work all the time, a slight sense of unease but also very beautiful. So all these things are imprinted on my brain and it’s my happy place being back there. SLUICE, from thisiscolossal.com Scott: Fantastic. My next question was about your work ‘SLUICE’. I found it quite interesting as it’s not quite like a natural flow of water, and it’s not quite the pattern of bird plumage either. So how do you find this ‘in-between’; how do you feel as you’re making that piece? Kate: A lot of the structures I make I’m very much looking at the natural patterning and how the feathers would layer on the body of a bird, and I’m trying to emulate that. The pattern of ‘SLUICE’ is more about the pattern of water, rather than how plumage would be on a bird. And it’s an illustration of that I suppose. You can also change the swiftness of your patterning by using different feathers. So I use very, very thin feathers on the outer edges where I want it to look like it’s flowing faster. I sort the feathers into different categories of thinness and fatness, so it’s like a paint palette in the end. I’m “painting” with the feathers to make it look like the flow of water, if that makes sense. Arabella: I would like to ask you a bit more about the duality concept with your dress and the writhing sculptures in the glass cylinders. They were almost feminine, commentaries on the body in a way; about seduction etcetera. Could you explain a bit more about that? Kate: I think all of the work is seductive, whether it’s in the iridescence or the forms. Often I’ll make work without realising that it’s quite sexual. I’ll make a piece of work and stand away from it and go “Oh… okay” [laughing] and not realising that I’m doing it. There’s not many in the show that look like it, but there are some that really do. I also work very intuitively. I’ll sit and carve the work over a period of days solidly. Often at the end of it I won’t remember doing it. It’s a very meditative period of time so the form sort of comes out on its own? And I can do drawings like that in the sketchbooks but that is only ever one side. I can’t draw it in three dimensions, I’m having to make it up as I go along. I think ‘I want this side to look like this’, and I’m working with a block, and then I turn it around and think, ‘well, that has to continue going around there,’ [gesturing with hands]. So it evolves when I’m making it. Often the work is feminine, and often the work is reminiscent of the curves of the body. I do want them to be sensual, often sexual, but I don’t mind. I’m happy to go with that. Arabella: But these works are meant to, would you say, have more than one meaning? Kate: Yes, exactly - it’s a push and pull. I want you to be attracted to it, lured to it, and then go “Oh, I’m not really sure about that.” Yesterday, two ladies from here came into the gallery on different occasions. One looked at a piece and thought “Eugh! I don’t like that,” and another person came and went “Oh, that’s really interesting”. It was the same piece of work, and they had completely different reactions to it. So, I want you to bring your own language, your own memories, your own imagination; I want you to bring your experiences with birds to the work and respond to it. I think of it as being a generous work that leads you into a narrative yourself. Arabella: That’s beautiful. How about your career? How do you think your work, style and form has changed over that time, or has it not? Kate: I think it’s always had the essence of collecting and using natural materials and an element of border and patterning with it. But the forms have changed radically. When I first started after my degree, everything was quite flat. I am actually completely led by the material. I find something that’s curved and I make something that’s more curved. I’m led by that into other things. I’m thinking ‘How I could use that feather?’; how to move it forward. I keep thinking I’ll work in different materials, but I actually haven’t quite finished working with the feathers because they’re so miraculous. There’s a weed called Himalayan Balsam which is really bad on the river where we are, but it has the most phenomenal root. It looks like a hand. It’s like a child’s drawing of a root, the stem of the weed which is slightly pink towards the base and then it’s got these tentacles coming out of them. It’s the most peculiar thing. And it grasps [Kate bangs the table] onto the rocks and mud. They’re fascinating, and I want to do something with them because they’re such a phenomenal shape. Very unlike any other weed, a bit like the Baobab, upside down. Have you seen those tiny little feathers that you find on a Jay with the stripes? Those ones are slightly awkward to show because they need light. I don’t understand it - it’s astounding. Arabella: I actually do have one more question! [Laughing] - why did you choose feathers as your primary medium? Kate: Well, when I first had my studio, the Dutch barge on a dilapidated island, I walked down to the studio and there were pigeon feathers in the shed next door. That then just turned into my medium. Having been interested in hair and bones and teeth (natural bodily materials), it was a progression, really. A huge thanks to Kate MccGwire for her time, and a special thanks to Amy Steels and Neil Walker at Lakeside Arts for their hospitality, organisation and expertise whilst we were visiting. You can find Kate on Instagram here @kate_mccgwire About the Author I Went to a Naked Orchestra: A Review of Carta by Monica Calle Niamh Woodhouse Violeta by Isabel Allende: One Hundred Years on the South American Continent Mhairi MacLeod Athena: A French Film Review Holly Cromwell PHOTO HERE of DISCHARGE (from Lakeside Arts website Kate MccGwire - Lakeside Arts, Nottingham ) For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Art Culture Lakeside Arts Kate MccGwire Arabella Moore-Smith Categories: Culture Cultural Spotlight Interview What's On Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

AN ELEGY WRITTEN FOR CITIES Bufan Zhang Friday, 13 February 2026 How should we endure history? And how should we face modernization? I recently read a book written by Orhan Pamuk called Istanbul: Memories and the City . In this book, the author recalled his past and the history of Istanbul. Combined with hundreds of black-and-white photos, we can easily immerse ourselves in its narrative. That kind of sadness, that kind of melancholy (huzun). "Huzun" is a Turkish word that means sadness or melancholy, but it has a richer connotation in Turkish culture, specifically referring to a collective complex emotion related to the history and mental state of the city. But I think that huzun does not only exist among Turks. When I try to conceive the outline of Istanbul in my mind through Pamuk’s words, I gradually realise my deviation. Because the harder I think, the more details I get involved with, the closer the image I envision is to the appearance of my hometown. The difference is that the hometown that I am familiar with has been completely erased by people, and the brand-new buildings are built on this ruin, which is no different from any other modern cities in the world. Those buildings that retain the memories of a generation, those landmarks that have witnessed the changes of the times, and those who have loved and hated when they were young, have all become dust in history, but only in the memories of our generation. The existence of this kind of memory is so fragile that we don't seem to remember where we come from. Nothing is left for reference. We have become rootless people. That is the reason why we are confused and panicked. Like the people of Istanbul, we carry thousands of years of glorious history and culture. The long history of Istanbul has not destroyed this, and neither have the countless wars and rules. But we fell a thousand feet in the 19th and 20th centuries. Quoting Pamuk’s words in the book: “This place has never been so poor, dilapidated and isolated in her 2,000-year history.” Then, we destroyed everything in the Revolution in the 1920s. And now, after experiencing a vigorous era, we seem to fall into a “huzun” mood. Our architecture, our culture, our faith, everything is changing so quickly. But how much have we changed? Where should we, the nation, go? The fact is, our architecture has become uncharacteristic, our culture has been incomplete, and we no longer follow the spirit advocated by our ancestors. Istanbul at least retains its buildings, and people walk in the streets and alleys in teal clothes. Although Orhan said it was "a way of mourning for a city that had fallen for 150 years", they still had at least 150 years to mourn. But what about us? That is why when we talk about ourselves – no matter how loud we are and how we compare, we always feel a hidden panic in our hearts. Because the things we are proud of were destroyed by ourselves, and now we are trying to miss them. In the face of the dramatic changes and encounters of the times, we are at a loss. Everything we used to be familiar with has become alienated, and individuals cannot do anything about it, so we are left with only sadness and paralysis. And the so-called “huzun” lies in the fact that we no longer love our cities anymore. About the Author 48 Hours in Seville: Spain's Sunny City Niamh Woodhouse Southern Spain’s Architectural Gems Vicki Mileson Valentine’s Day Traditions Around the World Vicki Mileson Image courtesy of Shanghai People's Publishing House. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Culture Books History Bufan Zhang Around the World Categories: Culture Analysis Feature Thought Piece Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE